Ever After

Shakespeare

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This chapter is in Jack's perspective.

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Mrs. Jefferson, still just as enthusiastic as the first time, poked her head out from the bright red curtain, startled – no, baffled – at the amount of people that'd shown up to see our ridiculous plays, making it even harder not to mention that they were practically being forced into this. It wasn't as if a student could just climb out of class and say "Fuck this, I'm leaving," because, if they could, we all would've fucked this and left the first day. Their teachers, as well, were probably dreading the next hour or so – it was hard for me to imagine anyone ever wanting to watch such a train wreck, and yet the thought of no one caring about such productions never crossed Mrs. Jefferson's mind. In a way, I felt bad for her, but at some times, it was amusing, especially when her "encouraging speech" rolled around.

"Today is the day," she said, clasping her hands together with a joyous smile on her face, showing smudged lipstick on her bucktooth. "This is the time, and this is the place, the place where all twenty-five of you will get to represent your true talents." A slight giggle from the back of the class (sitting on the backstage floor). "I'll pretend that I didn't just hear that, Ken. Anyway, this is an important day, most likely the most important you'll ever experience throughout your twelfth year of school. This grade makes up a good fourth of your overall mark, so make it count!"

Encouraging my ass, I thought. She was fucking pressuring us into doing this to the best of our ability – I prayed for the person who would mess up and lose twenty-five percent of their grade, along with an eruption of laughter from the audience.

Mrs. Jefferson then went to pluck out a pamphlet from her back pocket, unraveling it into slight crinkles as she continued to speak, seemingly showing no intention of ever stopping (as per usual). "The first group to present will be Group #1, followed by Group #2, and so on – that being said, Group #1, follow me to the costume area. Group #2, get ready! All other groups, go do whatever you're told to – I don't want to catch anyone slacking off. You got that?" We all nodded, to which she responded "Good," using her finger to trail Group #1 down a short hallway. I sighed, turning to Bob, Wade, and Felix, the only members of Group #2 that'd bothered to show up – Mark was missing. Of course it had to be Mark.

"Where's Mark?" I asked, the question feeling pointless as soon as it'd escaped my lips.

"Not here," Felix said, making me want to shove my script up his ass even more than I normally did.

I could feel my heart beating faster and faster, thumping loud enough to drone out the sound of the roaring audience, the chattering students, and Felix's annoying voice go on about how much trouble we'd get into for not having a member of the group. I, however, could already see what was going to happen, what was going to go down – Mrs. Jefferson had already said it for every class throughout the first two weeks of school, her voice (just as annoying as Felix's) repeating over and over in my head like a broken record: "No matter what happens, the show must go on." But how? How could the show go on if we were missing an entire fucking person? Surely she wouldn't find a stand-in, and she certainly wouldn't offer to play the part herself – as much as I wanted to see Felix have to fake-kiss our own teacher onstage, I don't think I could ever put up with such an embarrassing event involving my name.

"Get ready!" Mrs. Jefferson's annoying-ass voice called out from the heap of students surrounding her. "Group #2, it doesn't seem like you're all that prepared."

"Shut up," I whispered to myself, hearing Wade's voice override mine.

"We're just figuring some stuff out, Mrs. J!"